


The Kids Are Alright

by eracitor



Category: Spring Awakening - Sheik/Sater
Genre: Friendship, but my brain said fuck that, i know i should be posting more hernst, i literally have more hernst that i've written, positivity, sorry guys i'm just doing what i want, we're posting this best buddy pals story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 11:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11782038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eracitor/pseuds/eracitor
Summary: This is a very short story about Ilse and Ernst being best buds, which is my favorite headcanon.Note: The bold indicates that someone is signing rather than speaking. It also is not a direct translation, as American Sign Language has vastly different grammar and syntax. The bold is how an interpreter would read their signing.





	The Kids Are Alright

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I edit this every now and then if I see grammatical/cultural errors. Everything is a work in progress. Thanks

Lying beneath the stars, Ilse took a long drag from the joint, blowing smoke up into the sky, making the stars disappear for maybe a second but they returned and Ilse found comfort in them. She handed the joint to Ernst who laid with his forearm tucked under his head like a pillow. He was tall and fit, with a strong chin and wavy black hair, and he was the only boy who’d never wanted anything from her that she could remember.

Ilse herself was wearing a leather skirt, a matching black turtle neck, fishnet tights, and combat boots. Whenever she wore all black, she felt that for once no one could see her. Like maybe, they would stop looking where she didn’t want them. She’d buzzed her hair to the scalp and usually only wore baggy sweatshirts, but it didn’t matter. It’s like they all had x-ray vision. They all said they were “in love” with her, like she was somehow supposed to believe it. She couldn’t believe it, not when she wasn’t even in love with herself.

She suddenly pointed to the sky, gasping prematurely. **You see that?**

 **Airplane.** Ernst giggled, letting out the smoke and handing it back to Ilse, who took another drag. He turned his head sideways so he could watch Ilse’s signs. **Did you want to tell me something earlier?**

Ilse thought about it, noticing she had to think about it a little harder now that the weed was kicking in. She kicked her feet around as she thought, her thoughts flying from one side of her head to another haphazard. **Oh yeah. I just needed to talk about** **_Wendla._ **

**What’d she do now?** Ernst asked, almost seeming concerned. Ilse loved that. The tough shit? She hated the sympathy and the concern. She knew that most of her life she’d been given garbage; she didn’t need to feel sorry about herself and she certainly didn’t need anyone else to feel it for her. Ernst had never once made it seem like he was pitying her. “I know what you went through,” he’d said. “I’m glad you don’t have to go through it anymore. Now you can move on.” And that had been what really inspired Ilse to actually move on. Because Ernst had acknowledge her feelings while reminding her that she had the choice to move on and move forward, and it wasn’t easy, nor was it always possible, but she was here now, with barely a bruise to her skin. When it came to easy stuff like what boys liked her, exes, or annoying coworkers, that’s when Ernst was concerned and supportive. Ilse was the same way with him.

Ilse sat up so Ernst could see her properly. She flicked out the roach and looked at her best friend. Ernst was wearing a letterman jacket over a black t-shirt and some ratty old jeans. Plus his standard beat-up sneakers, with dirty, frayed laces. She turned to one side and made Wendla’s sign name, indicating she was quoting Wendla. **My mom got mad at me for buying another skirt. Who would do that? I need more skirts. How else will I look so cute?**

 **She said that?** Ernst snorted. He loved Ilse’s stories because she always exaggerated the people in the stories. Whenever she imitated Wendla, she would stick her nose up in the air and chose a dainty signing style, just like how Wendla signs.

Ilse pointed to herself and moved her body to the other side to show she was quoting herself. **Okay, uhh, cool?**  She moved back to her Wendla side, her nose going in the air. **It’s** **_not_ ** **cool. It’s** **_tragic_ ** **.**

At this, Ernst burst out laughing, which made Ilse laugh too. **But Wendla’s so nice, isn’t she?**

 **She’s nice.** Ilse admitted, sighing. **But the naivety and ignorance is only cute half the time. The rest of the time it’s fucking annoying. She wouldn’t know “tragic” if it punched her in the face.**

 **Well, that’s what people like you and me are here for.** Ernst reminded her, tugging her arm so she was laying down in the grass next to him again. **We’ve already had to fall so we know how to get back up. Some people don’t know.**

Ilse admired this about Ernst too. Ever since she left her parents’ house, she and Ernst were fast friends, as Ernst had experienced everything she had and more. Yet when you look in his face, you could barely tell. He was so chipper, and had simple dreams of helping others and finding happiness. Ilse liked that. She liked her Artist Community because it was so wild and unpredictable, and it was the only true home she’d ever known, but she wanted the simple life too. She wanted to fall in love and get a steady job and just be happy with that.Ernst taught her that the only thing you can do when life is a complete mess is to be optimistic about it.

Being kind to people, whether they deserved it or not, was something they both vowed to do for the rest of their lives, remembering at one point they were both living with relatively wealthy parents, looking like they were living the life of luxury in a 2-story house. Meanwhile, within the walls of this house they were beaten down and taken advantage of. Sometimes, everything wasn’t as it seemed, and both kids took this to heart.

Ernst checked his watch. **I gotta get home. My brother will be worried. You staying the night?**

**No, I’ll just go home. Can I catch a ride?**

**Of course.** Ernst signed, getting up and dusting the grass off the back of his jeans and shoulders. He pulled Ilse up, and they walked to the car together.

 **Maybe, I’ll ask Wendla to hang out. You can bring your boyfriend. It’ll be fun!** Ilse proposed, searching his face.

Ernst blushed, hoping Ilse wouldn’t see it, but the moon  was feeling bright tonight, and she noticed. **Hanschen’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a friend of mine.**

 **Whatever.** Ilse smirked, shoving him playfully. **You’re in L-O-V-E.**

Ilse couldn’t help but be jealous. She knew that Ernst moved out of his parents’ house a long time ago, and she’d only moved out a year ago. She knew if anyone deserved good shit in their life, it was Ernst. But she couldn’t help but fear that if he’s happy and in love, he’ll forget all the bad things that connect him and Ilse together. She’s also scared she’ll never truly be happy and/or in love, and therefore, never have anything to connect her and her best friend together. She knew she was only scared because when she moved out, all her friends left her. She knew Ernst would never just abandon her. But still, she was scared.

Ernst walked backwards in front of her so Ilse could see his signs. **Hey, I bet you’ll like Hanschen. I’ve only been telling him about you for weeks.**

 **Yeah?** Ilse asked, a bright smile moving onto her face.

**For a while, he said he thought I was straight.**

Ilse burst out laughing, all her fears washing away. There was no way. Ilse and Ernst? They were best friends for life.


End file.
